I know this sounds like a crazy question coming from someone that has been banded for 3 months, but I have never really felt "full" --I've always stopped when I got to 8 or 9 ounces of food.

Does everyone get that crazy pain in their chest that signifies fullness or is there another cue?

I just heard back from my surgeon's office and there are no fill appointments available until FEBRUARY 25, so I am going to eat a little more at meals (maybe 9 or 10 ounces) until then. I just cannot deal with this constant hunger.

Just wondering if everyone gets the chest pain or some kind of cue that they shouldn't take that next bite......

I go from hungry to not hungry...once I hit the "not hungry" phase I have to stop...two or three more bites and I immediately go to the horrid chest pain and "oh my God I'm going to die" phase....I never actually feel full any more....I'm used to shooting for the "full" feeling and had several rounds of the nasty nasty chest pain before I caught on. Hope this helps!

For me, pain just below my chest means stuck, not full. It also means STOP EATING.

If I stop eating when I feel the pain the food might move down. If I keep eating, I am usually in for trouble, pain, and slime.

There is also a difference between full and satisifed. As obese people we often search for full, not finding it. As banded folk, we need to look for satisfied. If I eat until I am full, I am uncomfortable. If I stop when satisfied, I am happy. Big difference. Once you have good restriction, satisfied will hold you for 3 or 4 hours, maybe more.

Don't starve yourself until your next fill. Eat healthful choices. Feel satisfied. You are doing great on the weightloss. Keep up the good work!

I have the opposite, I never really feel hungry. I am only 3 weeks post op and I have to make myself eat. I have began to eat some soft foods and have gotten food stuck. Ouch!! Burning chest pain that stops me in my tracks!

For me the chest pain (that radiates to my right shoulder a bit) means I've taken 1 or 2 bites too many. I'm still struggling to eat slow and take small bites at times, so I find myself with the chest pain before I realize I'm not hungry any longer. I was doing well until my last fill which really gave me good restriction - now I'm trying to mentally adjust to the smaller amount I need at each meal.

I also have felt that chest pain (heartburny) feeling when I have had enough to eat. It is a sure cue it is time to stop. If I eat beyond that point I am very uncomfortable. I am working on smaller bites and eating more slowly.

I have a different experience. I am 3 months post op and I only get the pain in my chest if I eat something that I didn't chew well enough. It usually happens after my first bite. And I know I'm not full at that point because I just started eating. I get a satisfied feeling when I am full, but not the same fullness that I felt before the surgery when I would over eat and be stuffed! Most times I end up stopping because I don't really feel like chewing anymore :biggrin: I think my brain just recognizes that I've had enough. I have actually learned that I can leave some food left on my plate which I was never able to do before. I used to eat all of it, even if I was already full. As for the hunger, I very much know when I am hungry because my stomach will gurggle and make noises, but usually it only happens every 5 hours or so.

If I have pain in my chest it means I ate too much or something is stuck. If I have a that little "lump" or uncomfortable spot right between my breasts it means I'm full. I try not to get to that point. My cue is I hiccup. If I hiccup, I know I've had enough. I suppose it is the same thing as a burp, but I don't burp (don't all come flying at me, I've never burped - it's just the way my anatomy is!) My husband was banded five days after me and he burps when he is full or had enough - that is how we know. I try to only put on my plate what I think I should be eating and stop at that amount. It also helps - at least for me - to stand up towards the end of your meal. Every time I do that, when I'm not sure if I'm full or not, I will almost always hiccup, and then I know I'm full. For instance, today for lunch I had four wheat ritz crackers, four slices of reduced fat cheese, a handful of almonds, and a slice of cheese pizza on wheat crust. I ate all the cheese and crackers, almost all the almonds, and got 3/4 of the pizza done. I didn't think I was full but someone came to the door and I stood up to get it, hiccuped, and that was it. I was done.